Playing by the Rules

Not too terribly long ago I posted Life Guarantees, in it were some loose rules about lessons. Lately, I have been thinking a lot about that. This is going to be a bit of tangent correlation about lessons and rules. Bear with me through the meandering of trying to nail these thoughts down to the virtual paper. The lesson that's going to be addressed today is about playing by the rules. I am what some people, including myself, would call rebellious. Hold your gasps of shock there, 'tis true. Some of that rebellion has faded as wisdom has matured my spirit into a more graceful nature. I was a risk taker, not just the skipping a class or two type. Sure, I jumped off the cliffs in the summer 50 feet into the murky white capped waters of the lake below. I have sky dived, in fact, I have flown in a plane several times - but never have I landed in one. That is the fairly mundane risk taking. I took chances with my life in those ways. It wasn't something I really thought about when I broke the ultimate rule - death. I have chronicled in this blog how I have cheated death- no sense in retelling it. At this point in my life, the most risky thing I am going to do would be working myself to exhaustion in the yard with the knowledge that I will pay for it for a few days. I have become safer with my body, I have some pretty important people counting on me to do so. I still have a way to rebel without breaking any laws or rules...with my ideals. Here is the rule I live by though: my ideals shouldn't impose on anyone else's. That is a self inflicted rule that I think I can live by. Rules are everywhere: at home, at school, at work and we all have to abide by them or suffer the consequences. What happens when that 'rule' is the law? Break that rule and the consequences could be steep, depending on the offense. Then there are rules that we lay out for others. This is a slippery slope to be approached carefully, but so many approach it carelessly with self righteousness. Any rule that you set out for someone else is applicable to you as well. Whoa...that doesn't seem fair, or does it? You certainly wouldn't want someone flaunting how they were above the rules you had to follow. Look how pissed off we all get when the government does it. Every now and then, those rules that we set out for others become law. If you think for one moment that you are getting something over on someone else or punishing them, rest assured it will come back on you when you don't want to play by the rules you laid out. Trying to manipulate the situation in your favor might be calculating and clever, but if you are seeking to manipulate then you are already in the wrong. That sounds like a pretty shitty statement by me, I admit that, but it is the truth. If you were truly righteous, you would have no need to dictate to others, no need to feel the desire to control. That my readers is called insecurity. If you are secure and respectful rules don't need to be made. If you don't care for this line of thought, them I suggest you quit reading what I write...I will only infuriate you further. Let go of the reigns if you really want to be a rebel. Unleash yourself from the burdens of trying to make rules and control others. Experience the freedom of not having to live with a clandestine agenda. Once you let go of the desire to control other people, they will reciprocate. After all, who wants to fight a battle when there is no one to fight against? If you can't stand playing by the rules, then stop playing bullshit games. Live free ~ Andrea